ESPN Player will bring unrivalled coverage of the 2018 NCAA College Football season to fans in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and Asian countries including Japan and Singapore anytime, anywhere.
A packed opening weekend of live action begins Saturday 1st September as national champions Alabama headline a slate of 32 games available on ESPN Player when they host Louisville.
For the first time ever, ESPN Player has added a slate of new football-focused documentary films to complement its extensive NCAA live coverage.
The line-up is led by the brand new ESPN Films production Training Days: Rolling with the Tide and includes films from the critically acclaimed and Oscar-winning 30 For 30 series that delve into the rich history of American college and professional sports.
Training Days: Rolling with the Tide is focused on the defending national champions, and arguably college football’s most dominant program, delving into the all-consuming effort of head coach Nick Saban, his assistant coaches and players as the Alabama Crimson Tide prepare to defend their title.
Four hour-long episodes are available to watch exclusively on ESPN Player just one day after they premiere in the US, with the first three episodes already available and the final episode to be added on 30th August.
A total of 21 ESPN Films productions will be available to ESPN Player subscribers, including 30 For 30: Roll Tide/War Eagle, which chronicles the venomous rivalry between Alabama and Auburn, and 30 For 30: Elway to Marino, an in-depth examination of the 1983 NFL Draft that was highlighted by a record six quarterbacks taken in the first round, including future Hall of Famers John Elway and Dan Marino.
In addition the five-part Oscar-winning documentary OJ: Made in America — which charts the rise and fall of O.J. Simpson, whose high-profile murder trial exposed the extent of American racial tensions, will also be added to the platform. The series will be available from 21st September. ESPN Player subscribers get access to all the available ESPN Films catalogue.
The full opening weekend of live action features a slate of 36 games available on ESPN Player, including a host of major clashes. Perennial powerhouses Ohio State welcome Oregon State while the Clemson Tigers take on Furman in two of the most eye-catching match-ups of the first full weekend of action. Last season’s CFP finalists Georgia start their campaign at home against Austin Peay, and two top ten-ranked teams face off as sixth-ranked Washington take on ninth-ranked Auburn.
Alongside the wide range of games featuring the biggest teams in college football, ESPN Player brings subscribers the news, storylines, discussions and debate surrounding college football, direct from the US, with three simulcast ESPN channels. The Longhorn Network, the official channel of the Texas Longhorns, the SEC Network, dedicated to the powerhouse Southeastern Conference, and ESPNU, focusing exclusively on college sports, are all available live 24/7.
ESPN’s highly acclaimed and award-winning weekly pre-game show, ESPN College Gameday, will also be available throughout the season, capturing the energy, excitement, atmosphere and insight from the biggest games. Televised every Saturday at 2pm (UK time), College Gameday is ESPN’s flagship show for college football and is hosted live each week from the site of one of the week’s top games. The first episode of the season will air on Saturday 1st September.
NCAA College Football is available as part of ESPN Player’s NCAA College Pass, with monthly passes available for £19.99 and annual subscriptions – which include access to more than 4,000 college sports events throughout the year – for £109.99.